glorycloud's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- the indwelling Christ It is in the flow 9:49 AM Thursday morning. Outside this morning it is damp, cold, and cloudy. I am thankful there is no snow in the ground today. I am not a fan of Winter time. I like the weather to be either Autumn or Spring time. Maybe we here in West Michigan will have a mild winter season. I got up this morning around 6:15 AM. Around 7 o'clock AM I drove my old van over to Maplewood Auto to have the oil changed. While at the auto repair shop waiting I read from a book titled, "Conversion In Luke-Acts: Divine Action, Human Cognition, and the People of God" by Joel B. Green. I was home with my van around 7:35 AM. I made myself for breakfast a bowl of oatmeal and ate it messing with our main computer. After messing with our main computer I wrote in my paper diary and then read for devotions "Psalms 1-72" Old Testament VII Reformation Commentary On Scripture. In this commentary on The Book of Psalms I am on Psalm 10 "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God" Psalm 10:17. (Read the discourse by the Puritan Stephen Charnock ON PRACTICAL ATHEISM in Volume 1 of Charnock's two volume work DISCOURSES UPON THE EXISTENCE AND ATTRIBUTES OF GOD Volume 1 published by Baker Book House.) I am now down in the lower level look at my commentaries on Colossians 1:27-29; "To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily." I have looked at these books and commentaries on Colossians 1:27-29- "Transforming Conversion: Rethinking The Language and Contours Of Christian Initiation" by Gordon T. Smith "Philippians, Colossians" New Testament XI Reformation Commentary On Scripture Edited By Graham Tomlin "The Letters To The Colossians And To Philemon" [The Pillar New Testament Commentary] by Douglas J. Moo "Colossians, Philemon" [44 Word Biblical Commentary] by Peter T. O'Brien "Hidden But Now Revealed: A Biblical Theology of Mystery" by G. K. Beale & Benjamin L. Gladd "Union With Christ: In Scripture, History, And Theology" by Robert Letham "Paul And Union With Christ: Exegetical And Theological Study" by Constantine R. Campbell "Moral Formation according to Paul: The Context and Coherence of Pauline Ethics" by James W. Thompson "Spirituality According to Paul: Imitating the Apostle of Christ" by Rodney Reeves "Salvation Applied By The Spirit: Union With Christ" by Robert A. Peterson I will quote from the book "Salvation Applied By The Spirit" by Peterson on Colossians 1:27-28 "Writing to Gentiles, Paul here describes in grand terms the salvation God has revealed to the saints: "the riches of the glory of this mystery" (v.27). The mystery refers to God's great work in Christ, fully revealed only when Christ came and poured out the Spirit on the church. We tend to skip over the word "glory" because it is hard to define. Peter O'Brien corrects that practice: "The apostle wished to emphasize that this wonderful mystery partook of the character of God himself." By "riches" Paul points to the "lavish bestowal of his blessings in Christ." What is this great mystery? "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (v.27). The beloved Son of God, "in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins," performs his saving work outside of us when he dies in our place and rises again the third day. More than that, he deigns to live inside of Gentiles, those formerly outside of his people! In fact, Christ indwells all believers, both Jew and Gentile. In this intimate relationship, he is the source of our hope for future salvation-he is the "hope of glory." His presence within us assures us of final glorification. It is the proclamation of this Christ, with appropriate warning and instruction, that is God's primary means to bring his people to maturity (v.28). Paul's goal is to present every believer "mature in Christ." The verb "present" has forensic overtones (compare its use in v.22), and thus the idea is presenting everyone mature "in Christ," that is, before Christ the Judge (and Savior!). Believers work hard at living for God, but they do so, as Paul testifies, "with all his energy that he powerfully works within me" (v.29). That is, the indwelling Christ empowers his people to toil for him and his kingdom." pg. 155,156 Robert A. Peterson I will close to drift and look at a book titled, "Galatians And Christian Theology: Justification, the Gospel, and Ethics in Paul's Letter" Edited by Mark W. Elliott, Scott J. Hafemann, N.T. Wright & John Frederick. 10:43 a.m. - 2015-12-03 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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